Bobby Wilder: Retooled offensive line focus of ODU offense

Old Dominion center Josh Mann discusses the team's offensive line play during preseason camp

Old Dominion center Josh Mann discusses the team's offensive line play during preseason camp

Dave Fairbank, dfairbank@dailypress.com

NORFOLK — Bobby Wilder is content with his quarterback and thinks he has a slew of options at the skill positions. But Old Dominion's high-octane, go-go offense is only as good as the offensive line permits.

That's where it gets tricky for the Monarchs, who graduated three quality seniors from last year's line and have been hampered a bit in preseason camp by injuries and position switches.

"I don't care where you are, what program in the country — college, NFL — when you lose three seniors, (when) you lose three guys in your offensive line, you're going to have a makeover," Wilder said Friday at ODU's media gabfest. "There's no other position in football that relies so much on cohesiveness and teamwork."

Senior Josh Mann and redshirt junior Connor Mewbourne are the most experienced returning linemen, and both had knee surgery last winter that shelved them for spring practice. Both came to summer camp at 100 percent, but Mewbourne, who protects quarterback Taylor Heinicke's blind side at left tackle, has missed the past week of practice with a hamstring pull and a respiratory infection.

"We've got a good group, a hard-working group," Dee said. "Where everybody's going to be, it's a work in progress. That's the best way to put it."

The present starting line consists of Mann at center, sophomore Tyler Fisher at left guard, redshirt sophomore Tyler Compton at right guard, junior Troy Butler at right tackle and redshirt junior Ely Anderson at left tackle.

Though the group is inexperienced as a collective unit, there is ample individual playing time. Mann enters his third year as the starting center and is the hub of the unit, as well as a team captain.

"The best thing we have going for us right now is Josh Mann is back at center, because he runs the operation," Wilder said.

Fisher played in 10 games and started six last season as a true freshman. Butler played 11 games last season and started the last four, at guard and then center after Mann was sidelined for the final two games. Anderson played in nine games, at both right and left tackle. Compton played in six games.

Mewbourne played all 12 games last year and started 11 — nine at right guard and two at right tackle. Neither he or the coaches want to rush his return, because he will be needed as close to full speed as possible against a full slate of FBS opponents.

"It definitely takes a little bit of time just to form the cohesiveness, as a unit," said the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Mann, "because the offensive line is five guys playing as one. It takes some time to learn how the guy next to you plays and the give-and-take with the guy next to you."

Said Mewbourne, "Meshing is a process and I think it's really starting to come together. We've put in some new stuff and we're running a lot of old stuff that we know works. The offense is very potent and it doesn't matter who we're playing, so we have that confidence."

As Dee and others point out, the offensive line is different than any other personnel grouping.

"You wouldn't think it would be that big a deal to go from left guard to right guard, but it is," Dee said. "The footwork is completely different."

Wilder figured that it will take several games for the group to gel, which will change the offense and the accompanying play calling a bit.

"What this will do is it will put more emphasis on Taylor and the quarterbacks, they're going to have to get the ball out quicker, particularly early in the season," Wilder said. "I don't care if it's Hampton, N.C. State, Eastern Michigan. To me, they're all the same right now, when it comes to the offensive line. They're going to need three or four games to identify who they are and establish their togetherness, cohesiveness."

Though the Monarchs aim to throw downfield more often eventually, they are likely to use play-action passes and fake handoffs on their zone-read run plays, in hopes of making defenders hesitate and buying time for receivers to get open and Heinicke to cycle through his options.

"I don't think early on in the year we'll be able to run a lot of vertical (pass) routes," Wilder said, "and have (Heinicke) stand back there with the ball."

ODU's linemen know they aren't as polished or cohesive as they need to be. As experienced as last year's group was, Mann pointed out that they were never perfect. They worked through injuries and lineup shuffles, and still were plenty productive, to the tune of 42.3 points and 519 yards per game.

"Obviously, we're starting behind because we've been juggling around a little bit," he said. "But with Coach Dee, we've been putting in a lot of extra hours and trying to get this thing right. I don't see any reason we should have to slow down the offense. We're working hard and we'll be able to keep the offense where it is and hopefully make it better."